The Hidden Side
by Crawler
Summary: This is the place to learn about Middleearth, from experts. Only serious answers are given to any question asked, and we do go to experts to find answers if we don't know them ourselves.
1. Introduction

Yes, this is another of those "Ask a character questions" fic, with a slight twist.  In all of these types of stories that we've read, the fellowship is extremely stereotypical.  Aragorn is the dirty ranger who's got the hots for Arwen, Legolas is the shampoo-obsessed perfectionist who's only job is to look pretty, Pippin is the dunce in charge of drinking pints, Boromir is the greedy pig who wants the ring, Frodo is the wimpy pretty boy with the gardener bodyguard…quite honestly, we're sick of it.  The fellowship is growing out of the box it was placed in.  You ask questions to _any LOTR character, and they'll do their best to answer, but also as they do their best to steer away from their stereotypes._

Feel free to question their hidden sides.

~A collab between Kua and Spider (Erie Wings and Crawler)


	2. Paper in the Forest

A/N Here it is, the long (or short) awaited official first chapter of Hidden Side, the serious ask a character questions fic.  Spider and Kua wrote this.  We own none of the characters save Gothmog.  He is Spider's.  No touchy!  The opinions in this story are mostly ours, but we have tried to stay as true to Tolkien as possible.  Please review, even if you don't ask questions.  This is in a story form, rather then linear.  There is dialog and interactions.  Now, you must use your imagination a touch here.  For example, Boromir is alive, yet the ring is presumably destroyed.  All the members have seen the movie _and read the books.  There may be a plot showing in upcoming chapters.  If you want to contribute ideas to this mysterious plot, feel free to do so._

Some of the questions have been tweaked to allow them to fit in the story better, while still getting the question across, we hope no one minds.  Also, there are some spoilers for TTT and ROTK.  Not too many, but there are still a few.  Just to warn you now.

**_The Hidden Side_**

            For some reason unbeknownst to us, a group of Middle-earth people were walking through the woods.  This group included, but was not limited to; the original nine members of the fellowship of the ring, Saruman, Elrond, Glorfindel, Galadriel, and a handful of other humans, elves, orcs, hobbits, dwarves, so on and so forth.

When this group stopped for the night, an orc known as Gothmog found two pieces of paper with scribbled lines all over them.  After studying the papers intently, turning them around to thoroughly inspect all sides, he tossed them at the fire.  They were useless.  One landed on Merry's head, the other fell into Pippin's lap.

Now, Merry and Pippin, unlike Gothmog, were able to read.  The scribbled lines formed words they could easily understand.  The papers were not merely used paper, but letters, letters that just happened to have questions for the people sitting around the fire.  Looking around at the group, all concentrating on eating except the hobbits, who had already finished their portions, the youngest members of the fellowship tucked the papers away in their belts, to wait until the group was bored.

As the night wore on, Merry and Pippin learned that bored elves were interesting to watch, but dangerous at the same time.  Glorfindel, Legolas, Galadriel, and Elrond had tried to hold a successful staring contest.  Rather then stare at each other, the four had decided to see who could look the longest at a specific place.  Gandalf was to be the judge, kicking someone out if they blinked or fell asleep.  However, under the intense scrutiny of four adult elves, anything they set their gaze on exploded within moments, sending debris towards the elves, who would close their eyes and shield their faces.  The most recent target, a rotting log, had sent splinters of wood flying everywhere.  Pippin had gotten hit on the head with one.  A small scrape bled sluggishly, and the elves reluctantly decided to call the contest a draw.

As Merry drew his handkerchief from his belt to dab at Pippin's wound, the letter fell out.  Saruman saw it and was on it like a hawk, peering suspiciously at the words.  Elrond freed it from the wizard's clutches and read it slowly, before turning to Merry.

"Tell me, Merry, what is the meaning of this letter?  Why did you write it?"

"I didn't write it, I found it.  Me and Pippin both found one, back there.  Gothmog tossed 'em at us!"

Elrond raised an eyebrow and turned back to the letter.  Galadriel reached for it and silently read it, before passing it on to the next.  Pippin fished his letter out as well, and the two papers moved among the gathered people, each either reading it to themselves or reading it out loud for those who couldn't.  When the letters returned to Merry and Pippin, the hobbits looked up at Gandalf.

"What should we do with them?"

"Why not answer them?"  The response was not from Gandalf, but rather from Voronwë, an elf from Gondolin whom history had forgotten.  "We are bored enough as it is, and should not press on in the dark of night.  We might as well answer the questions, for they are thought-provoking."

Elrond took Merry's letter and started to read, in a loud, clear voice that could be heard by all.

"To Legolas.  Why don't you seek a lover?  I know you loved to go to places and have a lot of fun.  And the road is dangerous and long, but some girls don't mind that and love to go.  I don't mind, I love to do that, go explore the places I will find on the way."

Legolas shrugged.  "I had a lover once, he passed overseas."

No one chose to comment on that.

"Now, the next questions are for Aragorn.  Is it hard to be a king, and may I, Celine, the writer of this letter, come some day?"

Aragorn nodded.  "Being a king isn't all fun and games.  I can't just sit on the throne all day and say, 'I'm the king, you have to do everything I say, so there.'  No, I have to be kind and just.  I work practically 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with no holidays or breaks.  I was working on my wedding day!  Everything I do that others see has to be carefully planned.  I can't offend too many people.  One or two will never like my reign, and there's nothing I can do about them, but I must try to make my people happy, even if that means sacrificing my own time and happiness for them.  My people come first.  They trust me with their lives, their freedom, their protection, everything.  I can't destroy that utter devotion they have, so I must constantly be striving to be better.  Being a king certainly is hard.  And as for if Celine may come, sure she can!  In fact, I'd love it if she did, and said what she thought, especially how I can improve.  Just as long as you don't stir up trouble, I'm sure you'll be welcomed throughout Gondor!"

Saruman shook his head.  "Such seriousness tonight!  Don't make your answers so somber!  Lighten up a bit, why don't you?"

"Your turn is next, Saruman.  Why don't you answer these?  Celine says, 'If you had asked me to work with you, I would answer that the question was not so hard to answer, because I would have to choose between imprisonment and imprisonment.  Do you honestly believe that Sauron was willing to work together?  It was more likely that he'd use you as a slave.'"

Saruman was speechless.  "How can she ask me that?  Who does she think she is, this _Celine?  I am Saruman the Whi…ow!"  
            Gandalf had whacked Saruman in the head with his staff.  "I'm Gandalf the White, you old windbag, now shut your ego off for a moment and just answer the question."_

Grumbling under his breath and rubbing his unmussed hair, Saruman closed his eyes in thought.  "Did I honestly believe Sauron was willing to work with me?  Well, I guess I did.  You see, I am," a glare from Gandalf caused him to quickly change his wording, "_was Saruman the White, the head of the five Istari sent to Middle-earth.  I was the most powerful of my kind, a real force to be reckoned with.  True, the idea that he would try to use me as a slave did cross my mind, but I quickly banished it.  If Sauron tried anything against me, I would be able to stop him.  I was confident that I was strong enough for that."_

Elrond nodded.  "And now this last question, which I think was aimed at us all.  How would we define 'freedom'?"

This time there was a long pause.  Everyone looked around at each other, blinking slowly. 

Lobelia Sackville-Baggins was the first to step forth with an answer.  She stood as tall as she could for a plump hobbit lady.

"Hm, freedom...The right to try for what you want. To give up something for something else, you know? Freedom is what sets us apart from people who just take."

"Like you?"

"Who said that!?"

Aragorn stepped forward, blocking Frodo from Lobelia's flailing umbrella as he answered, "Freedom is the responsibility of choice.  It's the capacity of choosing whom to live for--yourself or others, and then going about it with knowledge and acceptance of the consequences."

Bilbo shook his cane at Lobelia.  "Don't you go hitting Frodo.  That's my job! Now, about freedom.  Freedom is a privilege; to choose what you wish with your life, but it bears a great responsibility.  For the choices you make can weigh heavily on the people you care about the most."

Boromir was polishing his sword.  Without looking up, he stated, "Freedom is the human race loosed from its enslavement of arrogance."

Silence.

"Okay, moving on."  Elrond turned the paper over.  "That's all the questions.  It's signed, Namarie (good-bye in elvish), Celine."  Pippin ran forward, waving his letter aloft.  "Read mine now!"

Taking the paper from the excited hobbit, Elrond smoothed out the folds and started to read again.

"To Legolas and all the other elves.  If no Elf has ever come back from the Undying Lands, how do you all know that it is so great?  Is it not entirely possible that none ever make it across the sea, or if they do, their destination is not all that it seems?"

Voronwë, the forgotten elf, stopped Legolas from answering.  "I feel my knowledge may have more merit for this question.  You see, I did try to go west to the Undying Lands, but the ship was destroyed and I alone was the only known survivor.  It is certainly possible that it is not as perfect as it seems in tales, but if one allows himself to believe that the Undying Lands are all that our teachings speak of, he wishes to go regardless of the logic behind that truth."

Legolas waited until Voronwë finished before speaking his piece.  "I have never attempted to sail west as Voronwë has, yet I, like him, have heard the call of the sea.  It has changed my heart.  I am no longer content among the forests alone.  I must be near the sea for any solace to come to my soul.  Even if I knew the Undying Lands were not perfect, I would still succumb eventually to the constant pull on my heart."

The other gathered elves nodded their assent.  Both Legolas and Voronwë spoke true.  Elrond sighed, smoothing the paper again.  The moon had begun to rise, and the stars were peering out from behind the trees.  The previously bored group leaned closer to hear Elrond's soothing voice read the next question.

"To Glorfindel.  In the movie you had your part stolen by Arwen, and in the cartoon movie, Legolas took it.  Do you feel utterly rejected, and what is, in your opinion, the reason that your scenes were taken?"

 Glorfindel blinked.  "The answer to the first bit, about my part being stolen by Arwen, is simple.  Peter Jackson simply does not like men."

"In bed."  Frodo automatically stated the response he gave after hearing fortunes read aloud.  The younger gathering around the campfire roared in delight at Glorfindel's answer.  The older generation, Glorfindel included, indulged only in soft smiles and shakes of their heads.

"Actually, I don't feel utterly rejected, surprisingly enough.  In the book, Arwen, and the few other women mentioned, have very minor roles.  Only Eowyn, and perhaps Galadriel actually have a drastic impact on the storyline.  The creators of both movies, live action and animated, knew that the society of the world their work would be shown in no longer disapproved of influential women characters.  Being a very minor male character, it was easy for me to be dropped in order to make room for Arwen.  Sadly, for the cartoon version, Legolas showed up instead, taking Arwen's place.  I was not impressed."

Legolas shook his head furiously.  "That was not me!  There is no way I could possibly look like that, that fruit cup!"

Frodo shook his head.  "Legolas, you need to learn some bad words."

Legolas stuck his tongue out at Frodo, only to have it caught by his father.

"Elven princes do not stick their tongues out in public.  Now, let Elrond continue."

"Thank you Thranduil.  The next question is for me.  Ok, so when you were human, and then chose to become an Elf, did your ears simply go *poof* and turn into points?"  Snickers were quickly quieted by a glare.  "My ears were always pointed, thank you very much.  I am half-elven.  When I chose to remain elvish, my ears remained pointed.  Elros' ears were also pointed, but each generation the point became less and less defined until they disappeared altogether, leaving the rounded human ear in their place.  Next question.  To Galadriel.  When Frodo (in the movie) looked into the mirror, why did he see Legolas first and then only the hobbits? Now, if he had seen Aragorn, Gimli and Boromir, then I would understand – the fellowship. If he had just seen the other three hobbits then I would also understand, but the fact that he saw Legolas first and of the fellowship (not including the friends he already had) nothing, Legolas being the only one. What is up with that?"

Galadriel closed her eyes.  "Since we're talking about the movie, I would venture that the only significance of the 'Legolas first and hobbits second' camera pan was the pure aesthetics of the scene.  The director showed uncanny foresight that thousands of fans would appreciate the additional screen-time for the... I believe the term is 'heartthrob?'... and then tried to follow it up with a focus of members of the party that would allude to the vision he had of the Shire enslaved.  

"If, though, you wanted to know about the magic of the mirror...  Well.  Let's just say that the purpose of the waters is to enlighten and guide.  Its methods and meanings are beyond all mortal understanding."  Galadriel ended with a serene smile, seemingly misplaced under her mischief-filled eyes.  Pippin snorted.  "Heartthrob, yeah, right."

Elrond shook his head.  "Just because Legolas is handsomer then you does not mean you have the right to disrespect him."  As Legolas smiled smugly, Elrond continued with the next questions.  "Two for Gandalf.  Minka, the writer of this letter, says 'This has also been bugging me. At the Mines of Moria did you really forget the 'password' of Mellon or was it just you trying to avoid having to go into the Mines?' She also asks this. 'You seem to have the ability to appear at will so why is it that you did not do anything about the whole falling into shadows thing?'"

Gandalf shakes his head.  "Two easy questions for me!  Here I was thinking I would get hard questions, but instead Minka provides me with easy ones!  I'm old, far older then Legolas, Thranduil, Elrond, or even Glorfindel.  At the Mines of Moria, it was a bit of both.  I did forget the password in my old age, but I also did not try too hard to remember it.  I hated those mines.  As for the falling into shadows thing, I had to.  If I didn't, I wouldn't fight the balrog, die and become reborn with my special sparkly "Gandalf the White" powers."

Saruman grumbled under his breath, "Powers you stole from me."

Frodo snickered, but was cut short by Elrond.

"Your turn, young hobbit.  This is a movie-based question.  At the mines, why, when you asked for the Elven word for 'friend' did you ask Gandalf and not Legolas?  I mean, you had an Elf in the group, one whose first language was the one you were inquiring about, so why not ask him?"

Legolas looked down at the hobbit.  "Do tell, Frodo, for I wish to know why as well."

Frodo blushed.  "I, uh, well, I forgot you were there.  You were so quiet and still, it was like you were dead!  I didn't want to disturb you or nothing."

"That's your excuse?"

"Need another?  I have a handful."

Legolas sighed, motioning to Elrond for him to continue.

"Again, a movie-based one, this time for Boromir.  Why were you wearing a blanket?  You can not tell me that that purple, fringed thing you had about your shoulders was a real cloak."

Boromir sneered a bit, still polishing his sword.  "I borrowed it from my younger brother's closet. You see, I was instructed to bring along a spare, and when I passed through Meduseld on my way to Rivendell, I lent it to one of Eowyn's handmaidens who had been caught in a rainstorm. My brother has not used this cloak for years, which explains its poor quality."

Faramir punched him in the shoulder.  "So that's what happened to it!  You told me you didn't know where it was, that you hadn't seen it in years!"

Boromir shrugged, lifting his sword to let it gleam in the firelight, never once taking his eyes off the blade.  "I lied."

"For the entire fellowship."  A brawl between brothers was over before it began, thanks to Elrond's intervention.  "In the book, Elrond chose who should go to Mordor. Why is it that you all just pledged your services and no one complained? I mean, when Legolas stands up and says, "You have my bow," did all the other Elves just decided that indeed the young prince was the best that they had to offer? Surely someone more experienced would have been a better candidate. In the book it is ok, as obviously Elrond chooses him for his skill and bravery, but for all the other Elves to sit there and not to object means that, one, they are all cowards (which is highly unlikely) or that they all knew that Legolas was the best that they had to offer. Also, if they could all tell that Boromir had a thing for the ring, why did they let him go?"

Legolas brushed his hair out of his face.  "As much as I'd love to say it was obviously because I was the best they had to offer, that's not entirely true.  You see, in the movie, I pledge my bow so quickly that the other elves didn't have a chance to argue.  Once I said 'You have my bow,' I had bound myself to Frodo, and nothing short of death makes me break my vows.  As for Boromir, he was given the gift of a chance.  True, from the start, he had a 'thing for the ring,' as Minka so elegantly put it, but he was given the chance to prove himself.  He did try to take the ring, but in the end, he gave his life trying to protect those in the fellowship.  Had he not been allowed to come, he would have met up with Frodo later, with his brother Faramir, more then likely.  There, Frodo would not have the protection of elves.  He would have had to fight Boromir for the ring, a battle which would more then likely have been won by Boromir…"

"Enough with your rambling!"  Arwen playfully shoved Legolas.  "Father, do continue!  Read the next question."

"To Legolas and Gimli.  At Helm's Deep, did you really win Legolas? For when the count first started, you said that you had killed at *least* twenty, and then went on from that. Is it not possible that Gimli did not in fact win and that Legolas was just allowing him to win, as he had no interest in the game?"

Legolas shoved Arwen out of the way before speaking again.  "This is a dead topic in my life now.  I did let Gimli win, yes.  I may have killed more, but I was so relieved to see Gimli alive and in a good mood that I granted him the pride of knowing he bested an elf.  It is as simple as that, no more, no less."

Gimli nodded.  "He says he may have killed more, but he knows that I beat him fair and square, whether or not he let me win."

Elrond shook his head slightly.  The friendship between those two was an unusual one indeed.  "One final question for Aragorn before the letter is finished.  (Ok, another movie based one, but this REALLY bothered me!) Are you stupid? Ok, I know that was not put all that nicely, but seriously, are you a little thick? Boromir dies, you take his gauntlets and then you put him in a boat to go down the river to later be found by Faramir (but you weren't to know that.) Now, when Legolas is all, "We must hurry, Frodo and Sam have reached the Eastern Shore," and you make it clear that you three are not to follow, why then, did you not use the other boat to form a coffin like structure for Boromir? I mean, you sent him over a waterfall, and unless you super glued him in, then he is gonna fall out and be floating down the river not in the boat. Just some food for thought."

Aragorn checked his gauntlets, earning a smack from Arwen.  "Answer the question!"

Boromir glared at Aragorn.  "When _are you going to give me back my gauntlets?  Hmm?"_

Aragorn shrugged.  "Who knows.  And as for Minka's question, she answered her own question.  The truth is that we _were pressed for time, and yet still had a duty to Boromir after his death.  Sending him over the waterfall was--if you'll excuse me--as fitting to his death as we could come, and if his remains were taken by the water there was little we could do to prevent it.  The time and materials it would take to bind the boats better served the living, and I would like to think that a son of Gondor would agree."_

Boromir sheathed his sword and stood up.  "You could have at least given me a blanket."

The rest of the group grinned, patting each other on the backs as they retired to bed.  Celine and Minka, by writing one letter each, had dispelled their boredom for the night.

~TBC~

A/N  This can only be continued if you send questions in!  Minka and Celine did a wonderful job, sending in good, thought-provoking questions.  We had to turn to an LOTR expert to answer some of them, her answers were actually used in the story! (Thank you Mithrigil, oh bright angel!)  Now, credit goes where credit is due.

Mithrigil answered for Lobelia on freedom, Legolas on lovers, Boromir on the topic of his cloak, and the "Peter doesn't like men" comment by Glorfindel.

Aciel Skadi rose to the occasion with three responses, Aragorn's freedom quote, Galadriel's mirrorness, and Aragorn's final talk of the Boromir issue.

Rei Eien contributed with Bilbo's freedom opinion

And finally, Mamasa gave us Boromir's freedom view.

Celine, your English is very good.  we understood what you said.  Thank you for being the first to comment, but not the last.  Your questions were excellent, we loved them.

Both Celine and Minka, and all other nameless faceless readers, we hope this meets your expectations.

Spider and Kua


	3. Heading to the River

Okay, here's chapter two.  Hopefully we're still not botching the characters…too much.

Oh, and be careful in your reviews.  If you point out errors, you may find yourself with an email asking you to help us…it has happened.  ~evil grins~

More of authors' notes at the bottom, but until then, we don't own these characters.

Erie and Spider

The hobbits marched in front of the rest of the group, singing bawdy songs at the top of their lungs.  Lingering near the back of the group, the elves lifted their melodious voices in hymns to the beauty around them, trying to block out the hobbits' singing.  Men and dwarves in the middle alternated between wincing and covering their ears.  Normally, elven song would be pleasant to hear, but when it was mixed with the songs of hobbits, it created an unseemly ruckus.

The group was nearing the edge of the forest when Gimli tripped over a root and landed face first in a pile of leaves…and papers.  Sputtering slightly, the dwarf pulled papers out of his beard and pockets.  One of his axes was embedded in a piece of paper.  With a smile, Legolas pulled the papers off of him and smoothed them out.

"Interesting.  More letters to us."

Galadriel rested her hand on Legolas' shoulder, peering at the papers.  "Truly?  What a coincidence!"

The hobbits grinned at each other, their singing long forgotten.  The elves finished their song soon after, and quiet descended upon the group.

"Well?"  Merry had gotten impatient.  Legolas looked at him quizzically.  With a sigh, Merry pulled the notes from Legolas' hands.  "Fine then.  I'll read them."

"We should keep moving…"  
  


"All right, Aragorn, I'll read them and walk at the same time.  Can't be too hard."

After the group started marching again, Merry cleared his throat.

"Ahem!  The first question of the day goes to…Pippin and me!  When Boromir was getting arrows stuck in him like a pincushion, why did you wait until he was almost dead to charge out and help?"

Pippin grinned, "Because we didn't want to be eaten, and besides, we had to pause for dramatic effect in the movie."

Merry nodded and continued.  "But seriously, it was because we were in shock.  Even though Boromir was portrayed as a bad guy, he wasn't really, and he did try to save us.  We couldn't believe he would get shot at.  The next question is for Galadriel and Celeborn.  Are you upset that Lothlorien is dying?  Or are you happy you finally get to pass into the undying lands?"

Galadriel and Celeborn looked at each other for a long time, obviously conversing mentally.  Celeborn finally nodded and smiled, answering for both of them.  "While our hearts ache to watch our beloved Lothlorien fade away, we are happy to finally be coming to a close on our life.  When our task here is done, Galadriel will pass into the undying lands.  I will remain to tie up loose ends, but will eventually join her.  Middle-earth no longer needs our protection, we may sail west with no worries or regrets."

The other elves all smiled warmly at the couple, pleased that two of the oldest and most powerful of their kind would obtain peace.  Many of the women in the group also had sappy smiles, until Pippin grew bored.  He snatched the letters from Merry and read the next question.  "Legolas.  What type of bird feathers do you use to flight your arrows?"

Legolas pulled an arrow from his quiver and examined it.  "Well, I guess I usually use goose feathers, but when they're scarce, wood grouse works just as well.  This arrow uses goose feathers."

"That's always good to know.  Aragorn, why is your ranger name Strider?  I like the name, but out of curiosity, why didn't you choose a different name?"

Aragorn paused for a moment, thinking, before he answered, "Well, even though it is my name, I am not the one who chose it.  The people of Bree gave it to me, because they noticed that when I walk, I take long strides . . . though I am still confused as to why they would notice my walking patterns."

Pippin sniggered.  "Probably 'cause you walk funny compared to hobbits."

Aragorn glared at the hobbit.  "Gee . . .thanks."

Pippin grinned back.  "You're welcome.  Arwen, the next question's for you.  What, specifically as possible, do you see in a man so much younger than you?  Name, rank, and Numenorean serial number aside, what about Elessar made you forsake your family and the possibility of the West?"

"Hmm, this is a bit difficult.  I know the answer, but how to voice it . . . By younger this question really means mortal, yes?"  Arwen stared into space, deep in thought.

"Do continue, I want to know too."  Aragorn, rested his hand on her shoulder.  "Arwen?"

Arwen blinked, looking at him.  She smiled.  "Of course, you would think my answer is love, but it isn't.  What I see in him is immortality."

"What do you mean, love?" Galadriel asked.

"Well, the time of my people is over, and so they pass on into the West.  I could go with them, yes, and remain my ageless, timeless self.  Or I could remain, and attempt to realize what I see in him and his people.  That the life I have as a mortal will grow as any creature that truly lives, and will give me an immortality more enduring than any I would have over the seas because it will evolve and take new shape after we have gone.  So you see, by remaining for love I am not choosing death, but life."

Aragorn hugged Arwen.  "I love you more and more, every day, you know that, right?"

Arwen smiled back.  "Of course I do.  I could never forget that."

Pippin hugged them both.  "I love all of you!  Now, Aragorn, I believe it was you who said we needed to keep marching on.  Don't stop for mushy gushy stuff now!"

With a laugh, the party continued to move forward.  Pippin looked down to read the next question, but found it wasn't there.  Frodo was now sorting through the papers.  "Okay, the next question is for Legolas, Boromir, Gimli, and Aragorn.  How is it that essentially four people go up against an entire army, with a single casualty?  I understand that you are all wonderful warriors, blah blah blah, but come on.  Even the best fighter in the history of the universe can be beaten if there are too many."

Many "Yes, I want to know too," and, "How _did you do that?" were voiced.  With a sigh, Legolas answered first.  "I am a great warrior and move fast.  Since I am an elf, I know that being hurt in battle will more then likely prove to be fatal if it is serious, so I know how to move to prevent that sort of thing.  Even if I don't kill the enemy, I know not to get hurt."_

"I died, remember?" was Boromir's contribution.

"Orcs are tall and I am short.  So, all in all, I will see them before they will see me if we are in battle.  Size matters in war."  Gimli grinned, brandishing his axes as dwarves and hobbits patted him on the back.

"Size comes in handy other times too . . ." Gandalf muttered under his breath, a playful smile on his face.

"Well, the Uruk-hai were a bit distracted.  They were trying to find the Halflings, so they could bring them back unharmed.  That caused them to be a bit sloppier in their fighting..."

"If that was possible," sniggered Legolas, interrupting Aragorn.  The ranger continued, unphased.  "…therefore giving them a bit of a disadvantage.  We also had the advantage of sheer determination on our side.  We would defend the ring, no matter what the consequences would be.  We would not let anything short of death deter us.  If you recall, Boromir _continually would get up again after having been shot.  He would _not_ give up until Mandos himself came for his soul."_

Legolas, Boromir, and Gimli slowly nodded, shocked at Aragorn's little speech.  "Yeah, what he said."

"Oh, and Legolas, will you marry me?"

Legolas blinked at the hobbit.  "Sorry Frodo, you're not my type…"

"What?  Oh, no, that's what the person who wrote the question, Dragonlet, asked."

Legolas looked a bit sad.  "I had a lover once, he sailed West."

Pippin tilted his head to the side.  "Didn't you tell us that earlier?"  He shrugged.  "Oh well, this'll cheer you up!"  He snatched the notes from Frodo and read "Just for the record, Boromir, you're an a$$hole."

The hobbits, orcs, and dwarves burst out laughing.  The elves snickered softly behind their hands, and the men didn't know if they should laugh or be offended.  Boromir didn't look ruffled at all.  "If that is your opinion, very well.  It's a valid opinion.  Although I disagree, I won't object forcibly…" He held up his sword, with an evil smirk on his face.

"Don't worry.  The worst he'll do is put spiders in your bed.  Does that to me every time I call him one."  Faramir tried to console the mysterious Dragonlet, whoever she was.

Sam snuck up behind Pippin and waved an apple in the younger hobbit's face.  Pippin grabbed the apple, and Sam snatched the notes, returning them to Frodo.

"Thank you, Sam!  This next question is for Erestor, Lindir, Galdor, etc.  How does it feel being underappreciated?  You guys are known as just 'the council of Elrond,' how do you think of it?"

"Meh," scoffed Erestor, "Well, Figwit got famous, and now look at him.  Fangirls drooling over him, ruining his fine clothing.  Same with Legolas.  Truthfully, we're quite content with being known simply as 'the council of Elrond.'  Enough fame and glory to bring a smile to our face, but not enough to make the girls go crazy over us.  Just the right balance.  Besides, we got to keep the clothes."

"Next question for Aragorn.  Do you enjoy being king, or would you rather be a ranger again?  And if Boromir was still alive (in the books and movie) would you still give Faramir the princedom of Ithilien as he was the Captain there?"

Aragorn rubbed his beard and spoke, "Even though I love to be King, I wish sometimes that I was still a ranger.  I miss all the adventure and danger.  The traveling to far off lands, meeting new people, scaring some hobbits…" he paused for dramatic effect before continuing.  "As for Faramir's princedom, it comes down to whether Faramir would have fallen if Boromir had been alive as well.  In terms of military skill, the brothers were more or less equals in my opinion, and Boromir may well have suffered his brother's wound on the fields.  In that case, Denethor's madness would not have been so strong, and he may well have died without the athelas administered by my hands.  I doubt, were one of those brothers still living, I would have been able to forsake the battlegrounds in favor of healing the other.  So either way, Faramir would have had the princedom bestowed upon him."  Another moment of thought.  "Besides, Boromir would have tried to kill me."

Boromir hastily sheathed his sword.  Faramir glanced over at him, frowning slightly, before shrugging.  "Frodo?  What's the next question?"

"Next question's for Legolas.  How does it feel when a bunch of people think that you and a lot of other elves are obsessed with hair?"

"Honestly, it bothers me, even though we do like to stay clean, we are not as prissy as some seem to think."  Aragorn snorted.  Legolas chose to ignore him.  "There are other qualities besides hair…there are teeth, noses, and eyes."  He laughed, "Just kidding, there are more to elves then pedicures and nice hair."

"Like pale skin," grinned Gimli.

Legolas growled at the dwarf.  "Seriously, elves aren't really into physical beauty.  We're born beautiful, we don't need to spend millennia making ourselves prettier.  We prefer to dedicate ourselves to the arts."

Frodo grinned.  "And fighting is an art?"

"Of course."

"Okay.  The next question's for Voronwe.  "Why was it, that when Tuor came to you, wearing Turgon's old armor, you immediately assumed he must be sent by Ulmo?  Couldn't he have been an impersonator looking for the way to Gondolin in order to destroy it?  Weren't you even a little suspicious?"

Voronwe had been silent for most of the time.  He now spoke.  "…You know, I should have been a bit suspicious, but…well, destined are destined and this man was."

"Okay, nice answer.  Glorfindel, did, the Balrog you fought have wings or didn't he?"

"I'm sorry.  I was too busy concentrating on fighting it, I didn't even notice if it had wings or not.  All I saw was a beast of shadow and flame, one that was very mad, and one that was attacking me.  I didn't look at its back to check for wings."

"You get the next question too, Glor.  What was it like, being reborn?  And why did you go *back* to Middle-earth rather then stay in Aman?"

"I was reborn? (1)  I thought I was just named after that guy…cool!"

Pippin stole the letters back from Frodo.  He read the next question, a mischievous grin spreading over his face.  "Oh Elladan and Elrohir, you get the next question!"  The twins gulped in unison as Pippin continued.  "What do you think about all the twincest fics involving you two?"

"Twincest!?!"  Elladan shouted, his mouth dropping open in shock.  Elrohir just smiled smugly, keeping his mouth shut.

The others sniggered at their reactions.  Elrond wasn't sure if he should be worried or not, but then again, his sons were adults now.  He couldn't continue to brood over them like a mother hen.  Pippin asked the next question, thankfully sparing the twins any further embarrassment.  "Aragorn, don't you feel bad that Arwen's giving up her immortality for you?"

Aragorn nodded, "Yes, I do feel bad for her, but we loved each other so much, that when I was to pass, she would have died from grief anyway.  By making herself mortal, not only did she prove a point that love is stronger then life itself, but that she was also willing to give up whatever she had to, to unite the elves and men."

"Legolas, this person, Celine, wants to know why you won't seek a woman you love where you live."

"Well, I do find women attractive, but with the situation that I am in, I shall not be returning home anytime soon, so that would prove to be unfair to both her and me.  As you see, I travel with mostly men, and love is love, no matter what gender you are."

"Very well put, Mister Legolas!" grinned Sam.  Frodo smacked him lightly on the head as Pippin went back to reading.

"Saruman, Celine thinks you are very stupid, no wonder that Gandalf is now the white.  I'm sorry, but I had to say that to you.  Normally I'm not so harsh on people."

Saruman just huffed, with a small pout on his face.

"Elrond, are you not sometimes ashamed for your human emotions?  I think that it is a good thing that you have some human in you, you can understand us better than other elves."

Elrond closed his eyes, recalling memories that now brought a smile to his face.  "I think it is well that I am in touch with my human emotions, it is nothing to be ashamed of.  I have learned, however, that you do not cry at a council meeting.  People will give you strange looks.  I learned that quickly, after even Elros looked at me strangely."

Gandalf chuckled, remembering well the council Elrond was talking about.  He slid the papers from Pippin's grip and took over reading himself.  "Gimli, where did you get your axe?  It gets smashed and 5 minutes later, 'And my axe.'"

Gimli grinned.  "I knew someone would ask this!  I'm assuming you are talking about the movie.  If you were paying close attention, you would see it is not _my axe that I smash, but that of the elderly dwarf sitting next to me.  I disliked the idea of chipping mine on something as trivial as a ring."_

"Smart dwarf, now to Legolas and Aragorn.  Did you know each other before the Fellowship?  It really seemed like it.  You knew each other's names and all."

Legolas smiled at Aragorn, who nodded for him to go on  "Yes, we knew each other.  How?"  The elf smirked.  "We met before."

"Nice diplomatic answer.  Polite, but vague.  Shall we continue?"  Gandalf shuffled the papers again.  "Frodo, why didn't you get up at Weathertop?  Were you hurt?"

Frodo blinked a few times… "Um, no, I wasn't hurt.  Having a Nazgul blade in my shoulder isn't any cause for worry.  I should have stood right back up and gotten back into the fighting, never minding the fact that my shoulder's been infected by a poisonous blade and I nearly die if wasn't for Aragorn and the elves!"

"Was that a bit of sarcasm there Mister Frodo?"

"Of course not, Sam," Frodo replied sarcastically.

"Pip, you get the final question.  Are you looking for the Entwives?  (HOOM)"

"Well, hoom yourself!  Nope, can't say I'm looking for the Entwives.  I'm having a hard enough time keeping track of my cousin!  Now, where'd Merry run off to?"

Aragorn pointed.  "He ran ahead.  You might want to go catch up, we're all falling behind schedule.  Hurry up now, keep moving!  I want us to reach the river by nightfall!"

(1)  Glorfindel's rebirth is something there is still a huge debate on.  This answer is by no means accurate _or_ inaccurate.  It's simply one of the few we just don't know.  Same with the Balrog's wings.

Thank you to everyone who liked this.  Special thanks to Mith and Aciel Skadi.

Now, we know that interactive fics have been banned from ff.net.  This may be the last chapter we post here.  However, _The Hidden Side_ will have a new home at Spider's LOTR ezboard, pub73.ezboard.com/btawaruesta 

Please come and keep an eye or two on it there.  Registration for ezboard is free and easy, if you want to keep reviewing.  Spider is Laeghwest there, Erie doesn't have an ezboard account yet.  We'll keep _The Hidden Side_ updates at Tawaruesta.  Thank you to everyone for contributing to this story!

~Erie and Spider~

Oh, one last thing.  Sorry Celine, but your song thingy came after we had already nearly finished this chapter.  We'll get it in the next one though, we promise!


	4. Light to the Greenleaf

Anyone remember this?  Celine?  Minka?

Don't own them!

**_The Hidden Side_**

            Galadriel and Celeborn couldn't sleep.  They sat curled up in a tree together, watching the stars and the moon, discussing the current events.

            More specifically, they were discussing the mysterious letters addressed to them and their companions.  "I did not find any more today, Celeborn," Galadriel whispered.  Celeborn frowned and pulled a slip of paper from his pocket.

            "I found one, addressed to you, Legolas, and elves in general.  Perhaps we don't need to show this to the others.  The hobbits can get a bit . . . overenthusiastic when it comes to these."

            Galadriel took the paper from her husband and read it quietly.  "Galadriel, you see what people feel and think.  Can you do that also without your ring?  Or do you only have extraordinary powers with your Ring, and without it you are just a normal Elf?  Why, that's simple enough.  Even without my ring, I'm a powerful sorceress.  I haven't lived these thousands of years doing nothing.  My true powers come from nature itself, not Nenya.  I only use her to keep Lorien alive and pure in the dark times we suffered."

            "Read on," Celeborn whispered.

            "Do Elves celebrate their birthdays?  And if so, how important is it to you?  Again, another easy one.  Younger elves celebrate their birthdays often, placing great importance on it.  Once we reach about 1000 to 2000, it's no longer as important.  We see no need to celebrate it, but we do, occasionally, especially if our children or friends insist.  Much like humans, we enjoy forgetting our true age."

            Celeborn smiled.  "The last is for Legolas.  It's a bit smudged, perhaps we should rewrite it and place it in his hand.  I feel it will soothe his spirit a little."  Galadriel read the rest of the letter and nodded.

            Legolas woke up and stretched like a cat.  He noticed a slip of paper, rolled up and tied with a ribbon, lying next to his pillow.  Curious, the golden prince unrolled it and read it to himself.

            _I'm looking over the water._

_            That is moving, just like I was moving._

_            You were just like the water._

_            The colour was the same as your eyes were._

_            I want to be blind and deaf._

_            So that I cannot see and hear that life is lost without you._

_            So I will stay here._

_            And I will be waiting_

_            Until the water will be moving again._

_            And one day I will come to you, but not yet, not yet_

_            I know you will be waiting for me_

_            And I will be waiting for that day to come._

_            Amin mela lle, Namarie._

            (I love you, good bye)

            Legolas reread the letter several times, letting memories wash over him.  Memories of his past life, with his beloved.  Standing up suddenly, he rolled the letter up again and tied it carefully, tucking it into his pocket.  Until that day came, he would face the world with renewed spirits.

            Up in the tree, Galadriel and Celeborn watched the smile on the prince's face.  "Thank you, Celine, whoever you may be," Celeborn whispered.

            "You have managed to bring some joy back to the little Greenleaf," Galadriel finished.

Listen, I'm sorry for the long wait, short chapter, and all, but WE NEED YOU TO CONTRIBUTE QUESTIONS.  Without questions, we can't really continue this fic.

Never mind the fact that Erie seems to be MIA.  I hope she comes back soon, wherever she may be.

~Crawler and Erie


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